Scholarship and Labor Education Program

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The Annual AFL-CIO Scholarship and Labor Education Program is in its 62nd year. Through the program, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and affiliated unions are proud to award financial resources to high school students pursuing trade union programs or college/university study. ­The Massachusetts AFL-CIO administers half a million dollars of scholarship awards on behalf of unions and labor councils throughout the state. Individual awards range from $500 to $16,000.

October 2019: Online registration opened. Once a student registers they must inform their high school guidance office that they intend to take the exam.

December 2019: Scholarship study guide and interactive website will be available from this page.

December 20, 2019: Last day to register. All applications must be received by 5pm to be eligible to take the scholarship exam.

February 10, 2020: Scholarship exam is administered at high schools across Massachusetts.

In order to be eligible for a scholarship, students must take the Labor History Exam. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO publishes a Labor History Study Guide, which covers a broad range of the history of working people organizing for justice in the United States. New for 2020, an interactive study website will be available, featuring supplemental materials and quizzes to test your knowledge.

The Labor History Exam is administered once per year, and awardees are determined by the Scholarship Committee of the MA AFL-CIO. The Scholarship Committee consists of current and retired union members.

All Massachusetts high school seniors are eligible to compete for certain awards. Additionally, students with a family or personal union affiliation are eligible for awards given by their family’s specific local union or central labor council. About 2,000 students take the exam annually to compete for a scholarship.

Read more about application and eligibility on our FAQ page linked below. If you have additional questions, contact Scholarship Coordinator Carla Connolly at [email protected].